Moments in History: Modern History

Enduring freedom / Jawad Arash and Trent Reedy

A teenage American army private and an Afghan boy living under the horrors of the Taliban, caught on separate sides of the world during the tumultuous times leading up to and following 9/11, come to discover how much more they have in common than they ever could have imagined.

We are all that's left / Carrie Arcos.

Nadja grows up in war-torn Bosnia in the 1990s and, in the present, refuses to discuss her youth with her daughter, Zara, until both are traumatized by a terrorist attack in Rhode Island.

Like Vanessa / Tami Charles.

It is 1983 and Vanessa, a thirteen-year-old African American girl in Newark's public housing, dreams of following in the footsteps of the first black Miss America, Vanessa Williams; but with a dysfunctional family the odds are against her until a new teacher at school organizes a beauty pageant and encourages Vanessa to enter.

Fireworks / Katie Cotugno

It was always meant to be Olivia. She was the talented one, the one who had been training to be a star her whole life. Her best friend, Dana, was the level-headed one, always on the sidelines, cheering her best friend along. Everything changes when Dana tags along with Olivia to Orlando where superproducer Guy Monroe is holding auditions for a new singing group.

Boy, everywhere / A. M. Dassu

Sami loves his life in Damascus, Syria, but when war breaks out his parents decide they must flee their home for the safety of the UK.

Hazard / Frances O'Roark Dowell

Hazard is resentful about being forced into counseling after being suspended from his school football team for unsportsmanlike conduct, angry that his father has served four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, angry that his father has lost a leg when an IED blew up--but as his therapy progresses he begins to process what has happened to him and his family, including his father's psychological trauma that has made him refuse to see his sons.

Ground Zero / Alan Gratz

Brandon is visiting his dad on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 when the attack comes. Reshmina is a girl in Afghanistan who has grown up in the aftermath of that attack but dreams of peace, becoming a teacher and escaping her village. Both are struggling to survive after the events of 9/11.

Like a love story / Abdi Nazemian

Reza, Judy and Art are three teenagers living in New York City in 1989, in the heart of the AIDS epidemic. Their friendships and relationships are challenged as they navigate the city meeting new and interesting people and start to uncover truths about themselves.

The sky at our feet / Nadia Hashimi

Jason has just learned that his Afghan mother has been living illegally in the United States since his father was killed in Afghanistan. Although Jason was born in the US, it's hard to feel American now when he's terrified that his mother will be discovered and that they will be separated.

Sisters of the war : two remarkable true stories of survival and hope in Syria / Rania Abouzeid

Sunni Muslim Ruha and her younger sister Alaa withstand constant attacks by the Syrian government in rebel-held territory. The Alawite sisters try to carry on as normal in the police state even though they are growing up in a world where nightly bombings are routine.

The thing I'm most afraid of / Kristin Levine

In 1993, twelve-year-old Becca, who struggles with an anxiety disorder, visits her divorced father in Vienna, Austria, where she befriends a Muslim refugee fleeing the Bosnian genocide.

The memory of things / Gae Polisner.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, sixteen-year-old Kyle Donohue watches the first twin tower come down. While fleeing home to safety, he finds a girl covered in ash who has no memory.

Without refuge / Jane Mitchell

Forced to leave his home in war-torn Syria, thirteen-year-old Ghalib makes an arduous journey with his family to a refugee camp in Turkey.

The far away brothers : two teenage immigrants making a life in America / Lauren Markham

Identical twins Ernesto and Raul Flores, seventeen, must flee El Salvador, make a harrowing journey across the Rio Grande and the Texas desert, face capture by immigration authorities, and struggle to navigate life in America.

No more excuses : dismantling rape culture / Amber J. Keyser

In 2017 millions of women began to share their experiences of sexual harassment and assault under the hashtag #MeToo. Actors, politicians, media personalities, celebrity chefs, and other prominent men were all forced to step down.

Finding refuge : real-life immigration stories from young people / Victorya Rouse

A collection of true teen immigration stories essential for our times, complete with maps, context, and background on the refugees' home countries.

Americanized : rebel without a green card / Sara Saedi

In San Jose, California, in the 1990s, teenaged Sara keeps a diary of life as an Iranian American and her discovery that she and her family entered as undocumented immigrants.

Fake news and the manipulation of public opinion / Carla Mooney

Why is fake news so hard to spot and what is social media's role in the spread of fake news? Find out how fake news interferes in elections and manipulates public opinion. Also find tips on how to fight against the spread of fake news.

Black enough : stories of being young & black in America / edited by Ibi Zoboi

Black is urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrants, and more because there are countless ways to be Black enough. This is an essential collection of captivating coming-of-age stories about what it's like to be young and Black in America.